This article is all about how to safely transport a guinea pig for long distances. You will need to keep in mind how long you would be planning to transport your guinea pig throughout the article.

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Steps

1

Get a small-ish guinea pig cage that will fit in the backseat of your car. If possible, use your guinea pig's current cage to reduce stress. If that is not possible, buy a small-animal carrying/travel cage - it should be made of plastic or cloth, not metal, and none of it should be made of mesh. Make sure that you fasten the seat-belt around the cage so that it doesn't jolt around.

Two guinea pigs can be placed into one cage, but if you are taking more guinea pigs then you will need more cages for safety reasons.

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2

Fill it with a thick layer of newspaper or a waterproof sheet and cover with a soft fleece or towel bedding.

3

Place an attachable ceramic bowl in the cage and fill it with your guinea pig's favorite food before hooking it to the cage. Never use a loose bowl as it could slide and harm your guinea pig.

4

Hook up a water bottle and fill it up to the brim. Make sure that it is attached to the cage securely so that it does not fall as this could injure your guinea pigs.

Make sure that the cage is level to stop the water from leaking - if your guinea pigs become wet then they could become cold.

Fairly large water bottles are good for longer journeys as, particularly if your car is quite warm, your guinea pig will drink a lot.

5

Put a few handfuls of hay into the cage.

6

Give your guinea pig a toy or two as long as they are light and small - you don't want them to slide and hit your guinea pigs.

7

Put some veggies your guinea pigs like into the cage.

8

Put your guinea pigs in to the cage and put the cage in the car on a seat with the seat belt done up. If there is no room on the seats then place the guinea pigs in a footwell. Never put the guinea pigs in the boot.

9

Talk to your guinea pigs whenever you get the chance. Make them feel safe. Say something like, "(guinea pig's name), you are going on a trip to (wherever) with me!"

Try not to start by speeding off, begin slowly and then build up the speed so as not to scare your piggy.

10

Try to pull pull over at a rest stop every hour. Use that time to pet your guinea pig and refill their food supplies.

If possible, take out your guinea pigs normal hutch/cage for them to run around in for a few minutes and stretch their legs. If you have more than two guinea pigs then let them in together so they can say hello.

11

When you have reached your destination, move your guinea pig into a proper hutch or cage, away from direct sunlight. A carrying cage is not suitable housing for a guinea pig, even if it is "just for a few nights."

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Tips

Make a guinea pig first aid kit and have instructions on how to treat common illnesses. The book "Your Guinea Pig : A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing" by Wanda L. Curran has a useful section on this.

Pack for your guinea pig. This includes veggies, a spare water bottle, food, hay, toys, igloos, and other things it enjoys.

Before traveling, get a checkup for your guinea pig so it does not transmit other diseases to other animals. This also reduces the risk of having to go to the vet during your trip.

If your guinea pig has a partner, bring the other guinea pig along. This will keep it less stressful.

Keep your guinea pig's routine as normal as possible.

Some guinea pigs don't like traveling. Make it as comfy as possible.

Just because you are traveling doesn't mean you can't care for your guinea pig!

Warnings

Keep the guinea pig out of direct sunlight.

Drive medium speed. Do not go speeding down the road, as this can frighten the guinea pig.

If you are moving out of your country, you should give your guinea pig to a reliable friend, or a shelter. This is much better than putting them in quarantine.

Do not use anything new on your guinea pig. If it goes wrong it could be a disaster.